In the first fifteen years of the twenty-first century, the age structure of the Italian population has changed. The proportion of people over 45 years of age increased, whereas the share of younger generations dropped. As a matter of fact, the average age of the population in 2018 was 45.2 years, about two years higher than in 2011. Italians are getting older and the tendency is predicted to continue in the following years.

Less births every year

One of the factors influencing changes in the age group distribution is the decrease in the number of births. In 2017, 458 thousand babies were born in Italy, which was roughly 106 thousand less in comparison with the number of infants born a decade earlier.

Italian population one of the oldest in the world

With 23 percent of the population older than 65 years, Italy placed third in the worldwide ranking of countries with the largest share of elderly citizens. The only two countries ahead were Japan and Monaco, where the proportion of individuals older than 65 years reached 28 and 26 percent, respectively.

In 2025, in the north Italian region of Liguria, there were around 283 elderly people to every 100 young individuals. Liguria ranked as the oldest region of the country, whereas the southern region of Campania was the youngest. The Aging Index refers to the number of elderly population (aged 65 years and over) per 100 individuals younger than 14 years old in a specific population.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Italy (SPPOP65UPTOZSITA) from 1960 to 2024 about 65-years +, Italy, and population.

Italy - Proportion of population aged 65 and over was 24.30% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Proportion of population aged 65 and over - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Italy - Proportion of population aged 65 and over reached a record high of 24.30% in December of 2024 and a record low of 20.40% in December of 2010.

The old-age dependency index in Italy peaked in 2025, with ** elderly people to every 100 individuals in working age. This indicator refers to the ratio between the number of elderly aged 65 years and older, age when they are generally economically inactive, and the working-age population between 15 and 64 years, percent.

Italy - Population, aged 15-74 was 44390.70 Thousand in December of 2021, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Population, aged 15-74 - last updated from the EUROSTAT on December of 2025. Historically, Italy - Population, aged 15-74 reached a record high of 45626.40 Thousand in December of 2014 and a record low of 44076.60 Thousand in December of 2004.

In the past years, the share of people aged over 65 years grew constantly in Italy. Estimates for 2025 report that **** percent of the Italian inhabitants are aged 65 years and older. Moreover, **** percent of the residents are aged between 15 and 64 years and only **** percent are 14 years old and younger. In 2025, the Italian region with the highest share of kids up to 14 years old was Trentino-South Tyrol, with **** percent. On the other hand, **** percent of the people in Liguria were over 65 years, making it the region with the highest share of elderly among its residents. Causes of an aging population The growing share of old people in Italy is due to two main factors. First, the birth rate in the country decreased over the last years. In 2024, less than ***** children were born per 1,000 inhabitants, 2 fewer infants than in 2002. Second, life expectancy increased over the same period. A 65-year-old Italian woman could expect to have almost ** more years of life ahead in 2002, while by 2024 this number reached ****. The increase for men was even greater, with male life expectancy at 65 growing from around ** years in 2002 to **** years in 2024. Future demographic trends The aging trend in the Italian population is not expected to change in the upcoming years. Projections suggest that the country's population is going to sensibly decrease in numbers. Population forecasts for 2050 account for slightly less than ** million citizens, around * million fewer compared to 2020.

Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 7,873,800.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,799,551.000 Person for 2016. Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 4,827,912.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,873,800.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,732,826.000 Person in 1960. Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

Italy - Proportion of population aged 25-49 years was 29.90% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Proportion of population aged 25-49 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, Italy - Proportion of population aged 25-49 years reached a record high of 36.30% in December of 2010 and a record low of 29.90% in December of 2024.

Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 20.556 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 20.214 % for 2016. Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 11.865 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.556 % in 2017 and a record low of 8.328 % in 1960. Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 65 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population 65 years of age or older as a percentage of the total male population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

The aging index refers to the number of the elderly aged 65 years and over per 100 individuals younger than 14 years old in a specific population. Thus, the higher the index is, the older the population results. According to estimates for 2025, there are slightly more than two elderly people for every young individual in Italy. Between 2010 and 2025, this figure increased steadily.

Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 12.801 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.881 % for 2016. Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 16.303 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.873 % in 1960 and a record low of 12.801 % in 2017. Italy IT: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

Graph and download economic data for Age Dependency Ratio: Older Dependents to Working-Age Population for Italy (SPPOPDPNDOLITA) from 1960 to 2024 about 64 years +, working-age, Italy, ratio, and population.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Italy population by age cohorts (Children: Under 18 years; Working population: 18-64 years; Senior population: 65 years or more). It lists the population in each age cohort group along with its percentage relative to the total population of Italy. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution across children, working population and senior population for dependency ratio, housing requirements, ageing, migration patterns etc.

Key observations

The largest age group was 18 - 64 years with a poulation of 1,206 (51.25% of the total population). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Age cohorts:

• Under 18 years
• 18 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age cohort for the Italy population analysis. Total expected values are 3 groups ( Children, Working Population and Senior Population).
• Population: The population for the age cohort in Italy is shown in the following column.
• Percent of Total Population: The population as a percent of total population of the Italy is shown in the following column.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Italy Population by Age. You can refer the same here

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the Italy, TX population pyramid, which represents the Italy population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Italy, TX, is 38.6.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Italy, TX, is 23.5.
• Total dependency ratio for Italy, TX is 62.1.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for Italy, TX is 4.3.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the Italy population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the Italy for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the Italy for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the Italy for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Italy Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Italy IT: Population: Male: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 6,066,057.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,968,670.000 Person for 2016. Italy IT: Population: Male: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 3,270,688.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,066,057.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,033,421.000 Person in 1960. Italy IT: Population: Male: Aged 65 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

Actual value and historical data chart for Italy Population Ages 65 And Above Percent Of Total

Italy - Proportion of population aged 80 years and more was 7.70% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - Proportion of population aged 80 years and more - last updated from the EUROSTAT on December of 2025. Historically, Italy - Proportion of population aged 80 years and more reached a record high of 7.70% in December of 2024 and a record low of 5.80% in December of 2010.

In 2025, Liguria was the region with the largest share of the population aged 65 years or older. By contrast, 21 percent of inhabitants in Campania belonged to this age group, the lowest percentage nationwide. Data showing the age distribution by macro-region reveal that the north-west of Italy had the oldest population, while people living in the southern regions were the youngest nationwide.

Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 3,973,675.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,006,009.000 Person for 2016. Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 4,741,649.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,550,383.000 Person in 1974 and a record low of 3,931,578.000 Person in 2002. Italy IT: Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.